This invention relates to peelable labels of the kinds intended to be peeled apart by the consumer or ultimate user, for example to remove contaminating inks so that labelled bottles or other containers can be efficiently recycled, or to remove non-sticky promotional redeemable coupons or the like forming the outer plies of facepieces of labels applied to consumer products. The first-mentioned kind of peelable labels may be referred to as peelable in-mold labels. The latter kind of peelable labels may be referred to as dry pick-off labels. ("Dry" refers to the fact that when the facepiece, such as a coupon, is removed from the label, neither side of the removed facepiece is sticky.)
The invention has application to in-mold labels having a bonded but peelable separation interface such as those disclosed in pending application of common assignee U.S. Ser. No. 07/839,369, filed Feb. 21, 1992, which in turn refers to pending application of common assignee U.S. Ser. No. 07/756,556 filed Sep. 9, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,650 The disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,650 is incorporated by reference as if fully repeated herein. The invention also has application to pressure-sensitive labels having a peelable interface, such as the labels having "peelable interface 17" described in Freedman U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,088 to common assignee, and to "renewable surface" products having similar interfaces, also described in such patent, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference as if fully repeated herein.
In labels and renewable surface products of these general types, there is a need to make the removal of the peel-off portion of the label or surface as convenient as possible, so that ease of use will tend to attract consumers to buy the labelled products, or renewable-surface products, in the expectation that recycling of the labelled container, or removal of the redemption coupon or the like, or renewal of the renewable surface, will be easily and conveniently accomplished. Starting the peeling action at the bonded separation interface can be difficult, particularly in the case of in-mold labels where the labels literally form an inlay in the container wall so that the front surface of the label is flush with the face of the container wall. Without a starting tab, in order to start the peeling action, the edge of the label must be pried or a blunt knife or similar tool must be pushed over the label edge with a smearing action while bearing down on the label. While dry pick-off labels do not generally similarly form an inlay in the container wall, if they do not have a starting tab they can still be difficult to separate at an edge in order to start the peeling action. The same is true of renewable-surface products.